The
Senate Finance Committee held the first of several hearings
last week on SB
34, elimination of the Personal Property Tax. Mayor Richard
Notte of Sterling Heights and Mayor Abdul Haidous of Wayne
testified to how this elimination (in addition to revenue
sharing cuts) would decimate their communities and the necessary
services that they offer (police, fire, plowing, etc). We
are expecting several more hearings on this bill, with hearings
taking
a week off and resuming next Wednesday. MORE>

State
Affairs Update

House
Local Government Committee Takes Up Testimony on Emergency
Manager Bills –
Today and tomorrow, the House Local Government committee is
scheduled to take up a package of bills, the primary piece
being HB
4214, which deals with the state's process to place cities
into receivership and employ an emergency financial manager.
The bill has been met with much controversy by many groups
for some significant components including, but not limited
to, removing all local elected leaders from office who are
in place when the designation of receivership is made, taking
away bargaining rights for the unions after a designation
is made, and giving the chief administrative officer (in most
cases, city manager) the ability to use some tools granted
to an EFM before receivership is declared as a means to avoid
it. MORE>

President
Obama Visits Marquette – President
Obama visited Marquette last week to highlight how broadband
connectivity spurs economic development. The President spoke
at Northern Michigan University to unveil the "Wireless
Innovation and Infrastructure Initiative" to bring high-speed
wireless services to 98 percent of Americans. MORE>